Postponement of Requirement to Collect Student Social Security Numbers

INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO: 28
POLICY CODE: JF/KLL

TO: Superintendents
FROM: Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner
DATE: September 22, 2009
RE: Postponement of Requirement to Collect Student Social Security Numbers

The purpose of this informational letter is to inform you that the Department of Education will delay implementation of the requirements of PL Chapter 448 (LD 1356), including the possible collection of student social security numbers, until the 2010-11 school year.

The reason for the delay is that there is a need to increase awareness about the passage of the law, as well as to provide guidance for its implementation by school systems. Also, because FERPA disclosure statements and requests for data by school administrative units have already gone out for the current school year, we believe that implementation now would present an additional burden. While the law went into effect on September 12, 2009, it does not require school units to implement it until after receiving guidance from the Commissioner of Education. Thus, the delay does not put any school unit at risk of noncompliance.

If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact Bill Hurwitch, Director Statewide Longitudinal Data System, at Bill.Hurwitch@maine.gov or 624-6816.